Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-29
THE YELLOW CAB.

| 1t was close cab I ha;led--a yellow
| cab-and its number was 1915. I re-
member the number distinctly, and 1 will
tell you how it happened that its number
and color have stuck like burrs to my
| memory. When got out of the door Of
| the Freenasons' tavern on the night of
| Feb =, 1860, where the dinner of the
benevolent Superannuated Night Por-
ters' Association had been held, and
called a close cab from the stand, as the
cabman got down slowly from his box
and opened the door for me with the natty
twist and tug peculiar to the craft looked
inside and saw that one of the cushions
was torn nearly in half and that the foot
mat was kicked up in dirty heap in one
corner. Upon which, observing the num-
Der of the cab to be !, 676, and perhaps
somewhat exhilarated by the Benevolent
Night Porters' " champagne, remarked
good naturally that lone might expect
| things to be at skies and sevens in cab
1876" The cabman growled something
in return, but he made no other answer.
''No more mad than you, MASTER" re-
piled instantly voice from somewhere or
other; but whether it was the waterman
who now stood holding the door and hop
ing II would remember him, :" and whose
pewter badge shone like silver n the gas
light; whether it was some street boy
lurking for pence; whether it was
drunken waiter or even some mere iInper-
tinent passerby could not in the hurry
of the moment determine. l remember,
however, replying to the waterman as
gave him a penny: tWhen / forget thee,
then shall Long Acre forget thy cunning"
"a foolish perversion of scripture and so
unmeaning that the very uttering Of it
struck me in an instant with the convic-
ton that | had taken too much wine. So
the waterman thought, too, for heard
him, as he passed the cabman, say;
The cove's sprung-take care of him,
he's worth half sinner to yev'
felt veXed at the time, yet said moth
ing, but reused all my cautiousness, de-
termined to watch this cabman narrowly
and resist all attempts at imposition.
Wine turns some men into braggartS
others it makes towards. Some sing, and
others talk when wine mounts up into
their brain. Me it makes silent, wary,
suspicious and cautious. Itquickens me,
it extends my mental vision, it heightens
all my senses. 1t seems If l may so eX-
press ito come to the windows Of my
mind and rub yapor from them, so that
l see people clearer and deeper.
1t specially had this effect on me on the
night III question, so before the cabman
had yet shufIied up the capes of his coat
and tied 6 fresh knot in his whip, / had
calculated how many miles it was from
Long Acre to my cottage on D0wnham
Green, east Of Hammersmith, and OBJ
served that the horse was good one and
untired.
''Vere to, sir?n said the cabman, forcing
the door with great difficulty into it's
proper place and then with all his strength
grinding down the rusty or bruised
handle.
ITO No. De Beauvoir Terrace, Down
ham Green, Hammersnith.
Take care how you drive that there
gentleman, cried out policeman, and
we were OF. The lamps of Long Acre
passed US in quick procession; it seemed
but a minute and we were in St. Martins
lane. At that instant the gusty wind
bore across the road the half past II
struck by the bell Of st. Martins church.
The driver, thinking of his over fare,
turned and tapping the windo,r with a
brutal leer, asked me if l heard 'the clock
a striking; but I did not reply, for had
taken q strange dislike to the man and
my only wish now was to get as soon as
possible to my own home and rid myself
CT fellow probably half intoxicated and
evidently determined to be extortionate
and troublesome.
By this time it had begun to rain fast;
the mist, before wavering and wandering,
now fell in long, flashing lines that beat
fiercely against the cab windows, cover
ing them with moving surface Of water
that rendered it impossible for one TO see
out Of either glass. The wind too beat
against the cab and few bowling before
US up the street Still we drove on fast
and steadily up Regent street, where
now nothing could u seen but stray
policeman covering up in doorway.
| never saw such rain before or since.
It seemed to whiten all the pavement and
to 1nadly dance and splash as If each drop
were a living thing. Yet oil this time
that the rain seemed ready to beat in the
windows. the cabnan, with head bent
deprecatingly down, drove on, singing
scraps of q coarse sea song.
/ struck the window angriIy TO stop his
rbiald and insoleat song; but ne did not
seem to hear me and paid no attention
TO my signal; SO, throwing myself back
in q corner OF the cab, began to turn
my mind Just to while away the time.
Through pleasant haze the past hours
seemed again to defile before me. Iwent
through al the moments from the time
the man az the door gave me the ticket
for my hat to the time gave it back to
the same man and told the waiter to call
me cab from the nearest stand. re-
meinbered all the bows and handshakings
~ he md hr-x los
in az irregular body we moved into the
dining hall narshaled by the jolly look
ing portly stewards, with blue rosettes in
their buttonholes.
But suddenly through all these motley
recollections there flashed painful
thought suspicious apprehension Of /
scarcely know wha. coming evil. 1t
seemed. when l think of it now, almost
like a presentiment CT what shortly after
happened remember that as sat down,
somewhat heated by my speech, and was
pouring myself cat glass of that excel
lent sherry TO wind up with, my old friend
the doctor-who, by the by. sat opposite
me at dinner-leaned across the table and
gave me peculiarly keen and searching
look from under those thick gray eye
brovs of his.
What does that detectives look Of
yours mean, Doctor said | pleasantly
enough
1T means that you must take care Of /
yourself. said he in grave voice, and I
no more passed between Us, for st that /
moment rose 10 leave, having some bust /
ness that would call NE up early in the !
He followed NE out though, /
and when we shook hands in the doorway i
l am not sure that he did not hold his stop /
watch IN his hand and feel my pulse with 4
the other: but I was so busy helping 4